Lessons learned from the Ron Paul Presidential Campaign...

[TannerW]

Looking at reality, it's painfully obvious that RP simply WILL NOT win the GOP nomination. Before some of you jump on me for being a 'defeatist', all you have to do is read Dr. Paul's latest message, and you'll see that he has essentially said the same thing. It's sad, but true.

Now, we can all sit here and dog the mainstream media for exclusion and unfair coverage of Dr. Paul - or we can take it upon ourselves to devise a plan for the NEXT revolutionary candidate.

As much as Ron Paul's presidential campaign came to accomplish, they always seemed to be a few steps behind - largely because they were in unchartered territory, politically-speaking.

So, let's charter that territory. Let's create an honest and EXTENSIVE list of what was done right with this campaign, along with what could/should have been done differently. It will serve as a form of schematics for that future candidate who comes along with a message as positive as Dr. Paul's - and ensure that history does not repeat itself. It's about all we can salvage at this point.

[ruggedindividualist]

I think if he didn't think he had any chance he'd drop out. To think otherwise would not be consistent with his personality. As long as there is money coming in he will continue to provide another option for people besides war and Marxism. Sure he's a long shot, but he always was. Surely it's better that McWar is the leading contender than Romney, he is much easier to attack.
It's always good to plan ahead and strategize, though.

[vector35]

What worked:
Attacking the Federal Reserve, REAL ID Act, false flag wars

What didnt work:
nonviolent rebellion

Solution:
Lets do what the establishment does to foreign civilians.

[TannerW]

Off the top of my head, a few things I shook my head at...

The television ads
As soon as I saw that first one (He's Catching On!), I immediately knew where this campaign was heading. The fact that they would not only PAY someone for that small-time level of production, but that it would actually come to be broadcast to potential voters was dumbfounding to me. RP should've taken advantage of his wealth of tech-savvy supporters who could EASILY run circles around the paid producers - and for a fraction, if not 0%, of the cost.

A different kind of candidate requires a different kind of commercial - and, unfortunately, this never registered with the Ron Paul campaign.

The blimp
As cool as the concept was of a giant Ron Paul blimp, it clearly wasn't thought out at all - and actually put Elijah into debt with the blimp company. When you think how ineffective that form of advertising proved to be, it's hard not to wonder about how those donations could have otherwise been spent.

Mainstream Media
A lot of people want to simply point the finger at them, but here's the truth: if you don't take advantage of the media, they'll take advantage of you. Sure, Ron Paul didn't get enough attention on the debates, but think for a moment about how many people are probably watching those debates. Political junkies and candidate supporters. That's about it. Now compare that to the number of people who...

-Watch the Superbowl
-Watch the American Idol finale
-Drive past a billboard in Atlanta
-Listen to the radio while working
-Subscribe to a popular magazine
-Visit Yahoo.com or YouTube.com
-Travel through O'Hare International Airport in a day

Those are ALL golden opportunities for advertisement, and ways to get Ron Paul's name noticed by a FAR greater number of people than any debate would ever bring. To me, this was the biggest faux pas: not using all that money raised for effective advertising.

[Truth Warrior]

#1 Lesson ( learned again, confirmed again, reinforced again ):

"The system is corrupt, beyond redemption, and is not worthy of my support!"

#2 Lesson:

"If voting ever really changed anything, it would be illegal."

#3 Lesson:

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."

#4 Lesson:

SNAFUBAR!

#5 Lesson:

"The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter."

#6 Lesson:

"War is a racket!"
"War is the health of the state."
"War is not the answer."

Therefore: "The health of the state racket. is not the answer."



Etc., etc., etc. ...........................................

[Carehn]

Its not over yet.

[GayRPFan]

Its not over yet.

It's over....though there is always a statistical chance, but for all practical matters his campaign is over. Period!

[Kaneda]

I think, what would really help, would be to canvass town and ask people who didn't vote for Ron Paul, why they did it. Ask around, why people voted for the other candidates. Asking the older people would especially be interesting.

[KevinDW78]

Ron Paul needs to drop out of his congressional race. I do not believe in career politicians and feel that even being one runs contrary to the spirit of the Constitution. There is a reason House terms are only 2 years. I think if Ron Paul simply left the congressional race and made it clear an an energizing, motivating, inspiring speech that he was doing so to continue his full time work to serving the revolution that has begun, I think he would bring a lot more respect to the revolution by doing so.

[klamath]

More time should be spent by the candidate in person in NH.

Better organized and earlier precinct captains.

Don't spam and fight with other sites on the internet.

Spaming online polls is a waste of time.

Get better feedback on why people aren't voting for your candidate to make sure it isn't because of misinformation.

[ambiguousscion]

If you don't believe in the campaign, why are you here...:confused:

[Detonator]

I think if he didn't think he had any chance he'd drop out.
Perhaps his desire to educate people is stronger than his desire to be the president?

[TannerW]

If you don't believe in the campaign, why are you here...:confused:
I believed in this campaign from Day 1 and have donated a ton of money and time - but there comes a point where you have to take an honest look at the facts. If you truly believe that RP can pick up 1175 delegates before McCain gets 477, then you're past optimism and into delusion. Sure it's "possible", but it's also "possible" that the world could explode while you're reading this. Realistically, though, neither one's gonna happen.

But, whatever - if you wanna classify me as a 'hater', then that's your misguided assumption. Either way, you should still be able to recognize and list the successes (and failures) that the campaign has had up unto this point.

You can either write this thread off as "someone who doesn't support Ron Paul anymore" or take it for what it is as "someone who deeply supports Ron Paul and his message, and wants to see it succeed in the future, hence the title of the thread". Your choice.

[Kaneda]

It's over....though there is always a statistical chance, but for all practical matters his campaign is over. Period!

There always were two goals for this campaign, first the presidential and second, to spread the word. The first is a battle that seems lost at this point. But the second is a war, and that one cannot be lost, only postponed indefinitely, and that is our choice alone. Let's show america, that this isn't a campaign, it is a revolution.

[Swedie]

There seems to be a tone of quiet surrender on securing the nomination. Please DO NOT GIVE UP!! I woke up in the middle of the night and realized the true impact of Dr. Paul’s letter to us (and the competition). It’s brilliant!

Please re-read Dr. Paul’s letter as many times as you need to, to “get it”. Dr. Paul is more intelligent and has more smarts and savvy than all of his opponents put together. With our continued loyalty, perseverance, ingenuity and hard work, this Republican nomination can be Dr. Paul’s.

Pretend you are McCain, Huckabee or any of their supporters reading Dr. Paul’s letter. Here are some excerpts that they will land on and remember. “With Romney gone, the chances of a brokered convention are nearly zero.” “…there will be no third party run.”

McCain and Huckabee are nearly broke. McCain is the anointed MSM winner. There may be a huddle between the two for a plan of action regarding the VP position. Whew, are they ever happy. They can relax a bit. Less spending of money they don’t have, going state to state, sleepless nights, bad restaurant food. Let that sink in please.

The message to us, his supporters. “If I may quote Trotsky, of all people, this Revolution is permanent.” “It will not end until we have won the great battle on which we have embarked.” “But that does not affect my determination to fight on, in every caucus and primary remaining, and at the convention for our ideas, with just as many delegates as I can get.”

This is a time when no MSM media coverage could work to Dr. Paul’s advantage. He is really the forgotten candidate until he rakes in dozens, maybe hundreds of delegates while they are all toasting each other. Our job is to make sure Dr. Paul gets as many of the remaining delegates as possible. Those of us in states that have held primaries and caucuses can help other groups by contacting the meet-ups and getting call lists. Making phone calls is not as effective as face to face, but it’s better than doing nothing. It’s time to quadruple our efforts, everyone, not just supporters in the remaining states.

Again, this is NOT the time to be giving up and second guessing what's going on. Let's get back to work, harder than ever!

[tbarnett17]

It's not over until it's over... so, we just need to work harder! Meaning spread the word about liberty, freedom and our currupt government, don't EVER allow lies to hide the truth, expose the media for what it is, and MOST IMPORTANT......


PUT MORE RON PAUL-ITICIANS INTO OFFICE!!!!!


I've actually considered running for public office because of Ron Paul, but I have no experience in it! -Tyler

[Captain Shays]

The more I hear that there are only two candidates left in the Republican race the more I DESPISE the MSM and ALL those who support the lies and corruption and foul deceipt that is ruining our country.

ALL of this falls into the lap of the media. Period.

They ignored us, and they ignored the military personel who gave so much and help so much hope in an honest candidate who they dreampt would become their Commender in Cheif. They stomped on the Constitution because as we all know and knew from the beginning this campaign wasn't about Ron Paul.
With ALL the other candidates it is about the candidate. Obama-inspirational, great speaker, good looking. Rudy leader mayor on that day. McCain, son of an Admiral, media favorite. It goes on and on and on.
Ron Paul is about nothing but the Constitution and our liberties. So if they ignored Ron Paul, they ignored the Constitution and all of us who love it and liberty.

Why is it that they talk more about Anna Nicole Smith and Brittney Spears than they do about Ron Paul? NONE of us are so stupid as to believe its not deliberate. This isn't the market we're talking about people! Its not that Americans really want to know what Brittney Spears is up to on any given day. Come on!
This is about promoting their pre-selected war mongerers, globalists and corporate elites and shoving them down our throats.

If I could get away will killing them and if it would make a difference I would do it whether I could get away with it or not. These people are destroying our country. They are enemies of the state. They are domestic enemies of the Constitution. They need to be hung from a high tree.

I will not give up. It looks hopeless but there is so much more at stake then we realize sometimes.

Look. We've all been around. You can go to just about any Obama, McCain orClinton supporter and they don't have the first frigging clue about the national debt and how it's caused or the transfer of our wealth from workers to Wall Street. They don't have the first clue about all the international trade agreements that are transferring our wealth and our production jobs to third world nations.
They don't talk about or care or know about the Constitution. They're inept view of American history is nothing but twisted distortions.

Now, talk to just about any Ron Paul supporter and they can recite facts, quote founding fathers and point out violations by Congress of the Constitution.

The confused ones who will vote for McCain because they get their information between Brittney Spears and Anna Nicole Smith and think they are experts on the causes of Islamic terrorism because they listened to Frank Gaffney on TV are subjects to propaganda which we're not subjects to. We know better and we know we know better. We seek truth on its own merit. They seek truth as a partisan trying to defeat some other partisan. They inform themselves as partisans. We inform ourselves as Americans. HUGE difference.

There needs to be a way to educate people by the masses.

We NEED Ron Paul to pick his VP NOW and someone who is high profile and worthy of respect. Bob Barr comes to mind but he doesn't have the sort of respect as Andrew Napalitano or Pat Buchanan. If Pat Buchanan decided to run as RP"s VP running mate and we could hold out until a brokered convention those two would beat the pants of McCain and his running mate whomever it might be. They would also defeat the Democrat in 08.

[Xenophage]

Ron Paul needs to drop out of his congressional race. I do not believe in career politicians and feel that even being one runs contrary to the spirit of the Constitution. There is a reason House terms are only 2 years. I think if Ron Paul simply left the congressional race and made it clear an an energizing, motivating, inspiring speech that he was doing so to continue his full time work to serving the revolution that has begun, I think he would bring a lot more respect to the revolution by doing so.

Ron Paul has been the lone voice of reason in the wilderness for a long time because of his congressional post. I do not look forward to losing that voice.

[Xenophage]

I think that more things went right than went wrong, by a long shot. Things went right that we could have never even foreseen. Almost everything *really* good, from youtube videos, to money bombs, to meetup groups were spontaneously organized by volunteers. We had a lot of amazing, inventive, energetic people working on projects to help the campaign as well, from the Ron Paul Blimp, to the Radio Show, to Call4Paul and more.

The things that went wrong? Some of it we couldn't do a thing about in the grassroots, and some of it was up to Paul and his campaign.

- Poor communication between grassroots and HQ early on in the campaign (this got fixed imo).
- Ron Paul started with virtually no name recognition.
- A lot of Republicans are really, really stupid.
- The circumstances surrounding both the Republican and Democratic races made it very hard to Paul to bring in the votes he needed. Obama stole our crossover votes, people voted Romney to stop McCain, Thompson if they were looking for a celebrity Reaganesque conservative, and Huckabee split the religious right with us.
- Failure to deal early and definitively with the racist smear.
- Failure to successfully peg Sean Hannity square in the face with an especially hard packed snowball.

Keep adding to the list!

[Xyrus2]

The fight to be the nominee may be all but over. But we still have work to do.

There are a number of states out there that have yet to vote. We can still show that in spite of overwhelming odds that we will still stand our ground. Make it KNOWN to GOP and anyone who cares to listen that we do not surrender. Make it known that we will not vote for anyone but Paul. And if McCain and the MSM think that our vote percent is not worth mentioning, then they are the ones that are deluded.

You can bet in the general election, McCain and the GOP think that we will support the republican nominee. Well if the nominee is Ron Paul then they would be correct. If the nominee is McCain, they are in for a very rude awakening. There is nothing they can do. There is nothing they can say. They worked tirelessly to screw us over. They laughed at us. They ignored us. The damage they have done is beyond apology.

Through their own actions, they have lost at least 6% of the republican vote. By their arrogance and ignorance, they have done more damage to themselves than any imagined damage a Ron Paul nomination would have caused.

We may lose the nomination. But I look at that as a victory. We have helped re-awaken the true conservatives. We have cracked the GOP/Neocon armor. And most importantly, we have defeated McCain. We defeated McCain not in the nomination, but in the general election. And when McCain gnashes his teeth in anger as he gets crushed in the elections, perhaps then he will realize that the Ron Paul supporters should have been treated with a little more respect.

Especially if he loses by 6%.

So let's see what we can do for the Ron Paul message.

~X~

[hvac ak47]

I think this type of discussion should wait until the campaign is officially over.

Sure we should talk strategy and things that can be improved. I think the message that Ron has no chance, does nothing to help what Ron is trying to do at this time.

Just my opinion :cool:

[DirtMcGirt]

The precinct captain push came way too late into the game... Also they should have made it easier to establish connections with other captain leaders in their area on their homepage...

[David_Huxley007]

Ron Paul's always wrong in his expectations on the campaign... because the campaign is not HQ
it's grass roots... he doesn't know how the grass roots work... so we need to work our asses of trying to win the caucuses...

[NCGOPer_for_Paul]

The biggest lesson that should be learned is you cannot win an election if people don't register to vote.

I came up with an idea here in Charlotte to get Ron Paul donors to the precinct and country conventions with the goal of electing Ron Paul, or non-McCain delegates to the State convention and National convention. (McCain may "win" the nomination, but that doesn't mean he'll control the floor or control the platform.)

Anyway, I went to fundrace.org, got the addresses of all Ron Paul donors, then mapped them into the NC Statewide voter database.

Of the Top 11 donors (all giving $1000 or more), 5 were registered Republicans (this includes me and another meetup organizer), FOUR WERE NOT EVEN REGISTERED TO VOTE, and two are UNAFFILIATED!

How can anyone expect to WIN when the biggest "supporters" don't get involved?

[christagious]

stop taking feed from this guy who has only posted twice on this forum...
Ron Paul's always wrong in his expectations on the campaign... because the campaign is not HQ
it's grass roots... he doesn't know how the grass roots work... so we need to work our asses of trying to win the caucuses...

YOU'VE ONLY POSTED 18 TIME!!!!!!!!! Why should I listen to you?

One day I only had 2 posts, so STFU. I'm sick of people on here putting down people on the basis that they have one or two posts. So what??? They're new on here, as far as you know they've been part of the revolution longer than you, and have donated more than, only happen to be new on the forums, you don't know them.

[David_Huxley007]

YOU'VE ONLY POSTED 18 TIME!!!!!!!!! Why should I listen to you?

One day I only had 2 posts, so STFU..

you weren't downing the campaign when you had 2 posts

[christagious]

you weren't downing the campaign when you had 2 posts

Well maybe because things were still hopeful at the time, things aren't looking too good right now so it's time to start thinking about what could have been done that wasn't. Just because he didn't join earlier when things were nice doesn't mean he shouldn't be respected.

[TannerW]

Hvac and others - Look, I'm not trying to send a 'message' that Ron Paul's campaign is over. Obviously, if he hasn't dropped out, it's not 'officially' over. I sincerely hope that RP sticks around 'till the end, just so we can all keep annoying the morons at Fox and Friends. And, yes, while it is true that I personally believe his bid for the presidency is kaput, I didn't make this post asking anyone else to agree with that.

I made this post so that we can compile a list of what has been done right, what has been done wrong, and ultimately, what could've been done better...up unto this point. It's never 'too early' to do that - it's something that should be done on a regular basis, and in fact, is probably best done NOW since it's fresh on our minds and we're still in the midst of it all.

If you'd rather wait to participate until AFTER Dr. Paul throws in the towel, then that's your prerogative. 'Favorite' this thread and come back to it at that point.

[TannerW]

As for David Huxley, if you're talking about me - just STFU. I've been coming to these forums to get information since they originated, and just now decided to register. You have absolutely no clue how many good things I've said about Ron Paul on a bazillion other websites over the past couple years. I made this post here because I thought I could get some valid feedback from true RP supporters who would be able to form honest and rational thoughts instead of childish BS like 'i don't respect you because you haven't made enough posts.'

[David_Huxley007]

sorry for being rude... i edited my post...
im just a little pissed off and can't accept any notion that even slightly leans towards a defeat. especially after putting in all the effort and knowing what's at stake

[TannerW]

No problem. Just don't be so quick to put up your dukes; actually read what I'm saying before you get all defensive. I'm not happy about the time, money, and effort I've put into a potentially dead or dying campaign either - but success is what you make of it. And, in my opinion, Ron Paul's message has been successful. I want to see that message continue to succeed in the future, which is why I want to use RP's current campaign as a road map for what to do and what not to do. And, as I said, it's never too early to start plotting that map.

[evandi]

GTFO of this forum if you want to discourage people from participating in the republican primaries/caucuses.

GTFO and DIAF.

[TannerW]

Is that aimed at me?

[evandi]

Is that aimed at me?

No way! You're just the person who started the thread!...

Oh, I guess it is actually.

[TannerW]

The reason I had to ask is because it's so ridiculous that you'd claim I 'discouraged' anyone from participating in the primaries/caucuses. Go read the last thing I wrote to David Huxley.

[evandi]

The reason I had to ask is because it's so ridiculous that you'd claim I 'discouraged' anyone from participating in the primaries/caucuses. Go read the last thing I wrote to David Huxley.

That's irrelevant. You are sapping Ron Paul if you are talking this way before he gives up.

DIAF, like I said.

[TannerW]

WTFever. I don't even know what DIAF means, nor do I care.

If you don't think I should be able to freely state my opinion about RP's campaign, then you really don't support what Ron Paul does in freedom of speech.

However, I've already said that my opinion about his campaign's status is entirely irrelevant to this thread, which is why your posts are so absurd. If you can't help evaluate and map out where the campaign has gone right/wrong or missed the boat, then you're not contributing to this thread.

[evandi]

WTFever. I don't even know what DIAF means, nor do I care.

If you don't think I should be able to freely state my opinion about RP's campaign, then you really don't support what Ron Paul does in freedom of speech.

However, my opinion is irrelevant. This thread is not about my opinion, which makes your posts so absurd. If you can't help evaluate and map out where the campaign has gone right/wrong or missed the boat, then you're not contributing to this thread.

You marked this thread with an exclaimation point, as if it were remotely important.

You're a troll.

[TannerW]

So you're saying it's NOT important to evaluate Ron Paul's campaign and recognize where he's gone right/wrong or missed the boat?

What the hell ever...

[evandi]

So you're saying it's NOT important to evaluate Ron Paul's campaign and recognize where he's gone right/wrong or missed the boat?

What the hell ever...

You told everyone to give up. It is not impossible to win yet.

There is a primary and two caucuses today. That is not a coincidence. Leave, Troll.

[JSutter]

I think that in future campaigns that the national campaign needs to pay more attention to the grassroots and listen to them. Someone famous once said "All politics are local" and that is so true. No one knows better what it takes to win a given precinct, town, city, state than the people that live there. I think that the national campaign was a bit arrogant and would've done better to work hand in hand with the grassroots.

Moneybombs, although newsworthy, cannot be the main source of fundraising. The message should be if you're serious about this campaign give as much as possible as often as possible. Don't wait until a certain day to donate what you could give today. If you have it now donate it now or you're depriving the campaign of resources they could put to use immediately. If some of the moneybomb money had arrived earlier it could've been spent in New Hampshire and a stronger showing there may have been all we needed to turn heads and give the impression Ron could win.

I think that the grassroots have done a great job and that even though Ron is a great man we made him the icon he was by putting our full faith and money behind him. Without the grassroots explosion hardly anyone would've mentioned Ron in this race. We do however need to not treat this as a defeat but as a win. Our movement is much stronger now than it was a year ago. People are not afraid to speak out against tyranny anymore and the message of a people who want their freedom is ringing out again. We need to take all the meetups and local organizations and coordinate them into a national movement. We need to start the 2012 campaign now even though we don't have a candidate. We need to be in the position that other groups like the churches and unions are in next time around to have candidates seek out our endorsement and be scared of pissing us off and having 20 million voters turn out to vote against them.

When you look at everything we've accomplished in just one year there is no reason for anyone to feel shame or anger. We outlasted the supposed front runners and are still in the race. Our candidate has not called it quits and thrown in the towel to endorse someone with the wrong ideas.

Everyone involved in this movement needs to keep their head up and refocus their energy on unseating congressmen and senators that work against what we stand for and set their sights on making a big difference in 2010 House and Senate races and taking a lot of momentum into the 2012 Presidential race.

[evandi]

I think you need to stop talking about such things in the midst of three contests.

[TannerW]

Where exactly did I 'tell everyone to give up'? You are the definition of a pessimist because you are reading what I wrote and simply picking out my opinions which just so happened to be the opposite of yours, rather than looking at the positive intent of the thread.

By the way, it'll take a lot more than a knucklehead like you to get me to leave.

[evandi]

Where exactly did I 'tell everyone to give up'? You are the definition of a pessimist because you are reading what I wrote and simply picking out my opinions which just so happened to be the opposite of yours, rather than looking at the positive intent of the thread.

By the way, it'll take a lot more than a knucklehead like you to get me to leave.

Ya, because you're probably paid...

Bring up this stupidity after the contest is over.

[TannerW]

Thank you JSutter for being an open-minded, intelligent person and posting a valid response.

[evandi]

Thank you JSutter for being an open-minded, intelligent person and posting a valid response.

This is an invalid thread.

[TannerW]

Ya, because you're probably paid...

Bring up this stupidity after the contest is over.
You caught me! I'm being paid by the campaign of Alan Keyes to come on here and ask how things could've been handled better. Alan is giving a super dramatic sermon later. You should join!

God, what an idiot...

[evandi]

You're doing this right before/during caucuses/primaries. Go away.

[evandi]

You caught me! I'm being paid by the campaign of Alan Keyes to come on here and ask how things could've been handled better. Alan is giving a super dramatic sermon later. You should join!

God, what an idiot...

Nope, McCain/Huckabee, idiot.

Explain why you had to bring up your retarded opinion right before/during some caucuses/primaries, genius.

[JSutter]

Thank you.

It really pisses me off that so many people want to give up and slink off to come back in 2012 wanting to be accepted back to fight again. We need to have a battlefield mentality and not give up an inch of the ground we've gained and to fight harder for every single inch of ground we can get and hold it. That's the only way not to be viewed with skepticism next time is to be able to say we never gave up and that we only got stronger.

If you think the establishment was afraid of our message this time wait until you see their faces when they get to 201o and 2012 and realize we have gotten stronger.

[TannerW]

This will be my last response to you, since you're proving your paranoid insanity with each post. However, I will continue to post in these forums and this thread well after today (just not to you), simply to show how wrong you are and who the troll really is.

[J Free]

What worked in this campaign:

Those people who focused LOCALLY. Who canvassed their precinct or became precinct committeepeople or became local delegates or got involved in their local GOP and will remain in the GOP after the election. I applaud those individuals. I put together my GOPrising.com site to provide a way for those folks to network and share ideas after this 2008 campaign winds down. For whatever reason it didn't take off but hopefully I will figure out a way to work with either the Republican Liberty Caucus (probably the most favorable subgroup within the GOP) or other groups that now want to keep our power united long into the future.

What DIDN'T work in this campaign:

All nonsensical top-down dreaming. That the media would wake up and do our work for us. That the polls were wrong. That fundraising and advertising were the keys to winning. That online polls would influence anything. That the majority of people would be willing to take the time to be educated on arcane stuff.

All of the sheer idiocy of "third party" stuff. While RP still says he respects third parties, I can now say I don't. They are a colossal diversion, a waste of time, and downright dangerous. A siren song to lure people into a desert of irrelevance and thus allow the establishment/insiders of both parties to cement their hold on the only two parties that matter or that even CARE about governing. I look forward to continuing to work with people who join the Republican Liberty Caucus (and on the Dem side, the far more irrelevant Democratic Freedom Caucus). I hope that RP supporters who understand and can face reality will join one of those two. As for those who can't face reality, I look forward to not having to talk to those clowns again.

Sorry if this sounds harsh.

[evandi]

This will be my last response to you, since you're proving your paranoid insanity with each post. However, I will continue to post in these forums and this thread well after today (just not to you), simply to show how wrong you are and who the troll really is.

It is unreasonable, and hints of insanity or intentional sabotage, to imply, in any way, that it is crazy to think that people from other campaigns would come here to sap our resolve.

You can't possibly prove my "paranoid insanity", because whether you are an idiot, or an agent of another campaign, the effect is the same. Right before/during some contests, you're telling people it is hopeless. DIAF. Look it up.

[bcreps85]

It's not over yet, but given our limitations I think we did well. If we had more time to plan for it next time, I think we'd have done much better.

Last, we MUST find a way to fight the MSM. Perhaps this is a battle that starts now.

[TannerW]

J Free - I don't think it sounded harsh at all. It was well thought out and honest. Thanks for the input.

bcreps - I don't know that there IS a way to fight the MSM, at least in its current condition of ownership. That's why I made my point about taking advantage of OTHER forms of name recognition. If the newscasters won't talk about him, then he needs to have a commercial DURING the newscast. If the magazines won't write articles about him, then he needs to have an advertisement IN the magazine. If the websites won't mention his name, then ads with his picture should be flashing on their main page. Until we can get a widely-viewed, independent news source (if that ever happens), I think that type of direct infiltration is critical.

I think most of us, including myself, were a little naive thinking that the media would see the smoke caused by RP's campaign and send all their trucks to report the wildfire - but, alas, we saw their true agendas. That, in itself, was a lesson learned for me. NO ONE in the MSM can be trusted to fairly and accurately report the news.

[evandi]

J Free - I don't think it sounded harsh at all. It was well thought out and honest. Thanks for the input.

bcreps - I don't know that there IS a way to fight the MSM, at least in its current condition of ownership. That's why I made my point about taking advantage of OTHER forms of name recognition. If the newscasters won't talk about him, then he needs to have a commercial DURING the newscast. If the magazines won't write articles about him, then he needs to have an advertisement IN the magazine. If the websites won't mention his name, then ads with his picture should be flashing on their main page. Until we can get a widely-viewed, independent news source (if that ever happens), I think that type of infiltration is critical.

And you put this in the news section. Telling everyone it was News that Ron Paul "obviously" won't be elected.

[IcyPeaceMaker]

As for me and mine, we will keep working as long as there is work to be done. The message continues to go out until they shut me up, and if we don't win this thing, I'm going third party to raise awareness and promote viability.

We lost to the two party system, it's as crooked as Ted Bundy.

[TannerW]

Attention mods / admins: if you feel that I have placed this thread in the wrong section, please by all means place it where it belongs. Thanks.

[wfd40]

A most recent conversation with a fellow RP supporter...

me: i'm so pissed about the whole ron paul thing
Robert: the latest email?
me: talk about a wasted opportunity
yeah
Robert: i know
i agree
me: i mean... 20million in one quarter
equaling obama
and how does he advertise his campain??
nada
Robert: nothing
zip
me: plays the wait and see game
Robert: zero
zilch
me: he should have challenged people with his ads
he should have gone all in
spent the entire 20million
on like 2 early states
Robert: no question
me: run 10 different 30sec spots
each one a call to action
rather than.. Ron Paul is against the IRS.. ron paul has a 30year voting record.. ron paul is for liberty... blah blah blah
it shouldve been... 200k people just gave Ron Paul 20million dollars
and the press completely ignors him
why do you think that is america??
maybe its because hes the only REP against the war
against warrentless wiretapping
against spending money overseas as opposed to here at home
find out why people gave this many 20million dollars
and why the mainstream media doesnt want you to know or vote for him at ronpaul2008.com
i mean, shit like that
it couldve been a slam fucking dunk
they played to loose
4.3mill on mailings??
lol
are you kidding me
you think anyone reads that shit in this day and age
at least go down swinging
instead of the slow fade
with no peaks whatsoever
In other words.. next time people give you 30million dollars.. do something with it.. challenge the american people.. call out the MSM... call out the pro-war-cons, and empower the people.. tell them that you only have a chance if they all take a chance... "elect-ability" is such a bullshit concept. Its a horse-race inwhich a majority of voters simply try to pick the winner, just so they can say they did.. Call them out on that.. Dare the media to suppress the message of Peace and Freedom..

This was such a slam dunk.. we had the money, we had the roots.. and yet, the execution could not have been any worse if HQ had tried to purposely scuttle this whole campaign...

[dawnbt]

It is unreasonable, and hints of insanity or intentional sabotage, to imply, in any way, that it is crazy to think that people from other campaigns would come here to sap our resolve.

You can't possibly prove my "paranoid insanity", because whether you are an idiot, or an agent of another campaign, the effect is the same. Right before/during some contests, you're telling people it is hopeless. DIAF. Look it up.

Wow! Die in a fire! Very nice! Karma is a bitch.

[TannerW]

Good thing your friend didn't try to post that here! Some idiot might accuse him of being a disingenuous troll, secretly being paid to represent the Alan Keyes/John McCain/Mike Huckabee administration!

:rolleyes:

For the record, I completely agree w/ your friend. Thanks for posting it.

[dawnbt]

Good thing your friend didn't try to post that here! He might be accused of being a disingenuous troll, secretly being paid to represent the Alan Keyes/John McCain/Mike Huckabee administration!

:rolleyes:

For the record, I completely agree w/ your friend. Thanks for posting it.

If your responding to my post that guy is not my friend. He's actually on my ignore list. I'm calling the scum out and reported his posts!

[J Free]

As for me and mine, we will keep working as long as there is work to be done. The message continues to go out until they shut me up, and if we don't win this thing, I'm going third party to raise awareness and promote viability.

We lost to the two party system, it's as crooked as Ted Bundy.

WE did not LOSE to the two party system. YOU CHOOSE TO LOSE by heading off into the desert of irrelevance with a third-party.

There are a lot of people who support Ron Paul and who have gotten involved at the local level with the GOP. While many may be asking questions about "what's next" (assuming their state's delegate process is over), that is HEALTHY. It is a question that would occur at some point even if RP were to win the nomination.

This is not a personality cult. Nor is it a one-time event where all of this country's problems would magically disappear the moment a good thing happens (eg a Ron Paul inauguration as President).

Restoring the Constitution and the proper role of federal government first means taking over all of those local and state governance apparatuses that would be required to fill the power vacuum with a reduction in federal power.

THAT is what those who remain both Republican and locally active WILL accomplish over the next few years. While you are wandering around the desert whining.

[TannerW]

If your responding to my post that guy is not my friend. He's actually on my ignore list. I'm calling the scum out and reported his posts!
No, no, no. I was talking about wfd40's post.

[rockwell]

#1 Lesson ( learned again, confirmed again, reinforced again ):

"The system is corrupt, beyond redemption, and is not worthy of my support!"

#2 Lesson:

"If voting ever really changed anything, it would be illegal."

#3 Lesson:

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."

#4 Lesson:

SNAFUBAR!

#5 Lesson:

"The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter."

#6 Lesson:

"War is a racket!"
"War is the health of the state."
"War is not the answer."

Therefore: "The health of the state racket. is not the answer."



Etc., etc., etc. ...........................................

I can't improve on that.

People are absolutely delusional if they still believe in the system any longer.It isn't broken, mismanaged corrupt or incompetent, it is a continuing criminal enterprise. That's it.

the United States of America as a political entity "of the people, by the people and for the people" has perished from this earth. It simply does not exist any longer.

That's it for me too folks, we're out of here. Best of luck to you all.

[Roxi]

There seems to be a tone of quiet surrender on securing the nomination. Please DO NOT GIVE UP!! I woke up in the middle of the night and realized the true impact of Dr. Paul’s letter to us (and the competition). It’s brilliant!

Please re-read Dr. Paul’s letter as many times as you need to, to “get it”. Dr. Paul is more intelligent and has more smarts and savvy than all of his opponents put together. With our continued loyalty, perseverance, ingenuity and hard work, this Republican nomination can be Dr. Paul’s.

Pretend you are McCain, Huckabee or any of their supporters reading Dr. Paul’s letter. Here are some excerpts that they will land on and remember. “With Romney gone, the chances of a brokered convention are nearly zero.” “…there will be no third party run.”

McCain and Huckabee are nearly broke. McCain is the anointed MSM winner. There may be a huddle between the two for a plan of action regarding the VP position. Whew, are they ever happy. They can relax a bit. Less spending of money they don’t have, going state to state, sleepless nights, bad restaurant food. Let that sink in please.

The message to us, his supporters. “If I may quote Trotsky, of all people, this Revolution is permanent.” “It will not end until we have won the great battle on which we have embarked.” “But that does not affect my determination to fight on, in every caucus and primary remaining, and at the convention for our ideas, with just as many delegates as I can get.”

This is a time when no MSM media coverage could work to Dr. Paul’s advantage. He is really the forgotten candidate until he rakes in dozens, maybe hundreds of delegates while they are all toasting each other. Our job is to make sure Dr. Paul gets as many of the remaining delegates as possible. Those of us in states that have held primaries and caucuses can help other groups by contacting the meet-ups and getting call lists. Making phone calls is not as effective as face to face, but it’s better than doing nothing. It’s time to quadruple our efforts, everyone, not just supporters in the remaining states.

Again, this is NOT the time to be giving up and second guessing what's going on. Let's get back to work, harder than ever!



Nicely done... i was wondering when more people were going to WAKE UP.... every time Ron sends out a letter, there is an article in the media, all the other campaigns read the letters that get sent out as well, there are OTHER CANDIDATES supporters who get our letters just to see whats going on.... Ron is a genius, if you read Foreign Policy to Freedom you can easily see this, I have NO doubts that this letter is a wordplay.


and you want the truth about new hampshire? we didn't lose new hampshire because Ron wasn't there, we lost new hampshire for two reasons and two reasons only.... 1) there was a handful of people working up there in the name of RP that were sabotaging things, whether unintentionally or intentionally i don'g know but they were causing problems in public, they were causing problems with business owners, they were saying really really DUMB things to the media that pissed off a lot of voters, they were harrassing in nature, and just overall idiots
2) NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS ARE FUCKING STUPID, pardon my french, but.... after working the polls and literally watching my country being thrown away before my eyes, i left heartbroken, dejected, and totally disgusted with the system. The majority of these people walked in not even knowing what party they wanted to vote for yet, i actually watched a guy eenie meenie miney moe his vote. I have never been so hurt in my life, i really thought new hampshire voters were informed people who cared, but they dont. so thats my new hampshire story

[PaulTriumph]

Of course it's not over! If if was, why would RP still be advertising for donations on his web site, when he has millions in the bank that he hasn't touched? Are you trying to call Dr. Paul some kind of shyster??

Just wait- there's a few tricks up his sleeve yet!!;)

[dawnbt]

Do we have any idea WHO the campaign is letting go? Could it be they found some moles?

[angrydragon]

Raise a lot of money in the beginning, at the very start of the race, to be considered top-tier.

[Paul4Prez]

Keep fighting for every vote and every delegate we can get in every state, but yes, it is time to reflect on what we have learned so far, and what we can do better next time, while a lot of people are still here on the forum.

What worked:

Having a great candidate. Ron Paul is well qualified (10 terms in Congress), has an impeccable voting record, and possesses unquestioned integrity. We need to start grooming and helping similar candidates nationwide, to get one in position to viably contest a presidential nomination.

Grassroots organization. The energy and creativity and mutual reinforcement of the grassroots was incredible. This forum is great. Meetup was clunky, but almost a really good tool -- we should make our own version, fixing its obvious flaws (especially those that limited communications between groups.)

Money bombs. With the right candidate and a committed grass roots organization, this proved to be a very effective way to raise money and gain media attention, at least at first. The best money bombs had a strong theme, and were organized at least one month in advance. If we had started these last April, they would have been even more effective in earning media coverage, putting Ron Paul at the top of the fundraising stats in the 2nd quarter, instead of the 4th.

Precinct leaders. The results are undeniable. Canvassing door to door and campaigning at the polls on election day produced exceptional results. This needs to start sooner next time (obviously), and be the focus of energy over sign waving, Internet poll spamming, and the like.


What needs work:

Advertising. Someone said it well earlier -- a different kind of candidate needs a different kind of ad. Make the candidate's unique characteristics obvious. Why was his anti-war position hidden in so many ads? We didn't even win the anti-war Republican vote. Tell people why they should vote for him -- have the candidate ask for their votes. Show big crowd shots, to counter the "fringe" label. Run some national ads -- it energizes the base, and increases donations. Stick more to TV -- radio and direct mail didn't seem very effective. TV ads get free media coverage which increases their reach, if they are good. Buy more Internet banner ads. For a candidate who supposedly "owned" the Internet, I rarely saw an Internet ad in a general interest website, and they're cheap.

Presentation. Whoever the next candidate is, hire a big time image consultant and debate coach. Ron Paul is absolutely great, but many neutral viewers didn't think he appeared presidential often enough. Substance is more important than image, but image counts too.

Professionalism. If you're going to raise $30+ million, hire a big time campaign manager and big time staff, at least at the top. Everyone involved has worked very hard, but it seemed like too many were learning as the election progressed.

Focus on early states. Nothing gives the media a bigger reason to write you off than a lackluster showing in the early states. Invest early to try to gain momentum. Rent some buses for the Iowa straw poll. Saturate Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina. Visit early and often. Get on TV. Don't save the money for later, because it will be too late. Giuliani tried to wait, and it was a disaster. Ron Paul tried to campaign everywhere, and did about the same everywhere.

[TannerW]

Thank you for the thoughtful post, Paul4Prez. Much appreciated.

[TannerW]

Thanks Dutchie, for pointing out evandi's 'troll talk'. It wasn't quite what I was expecting to get at the beginning of this thread, but at least we've received some intelligent thoughts to go along with it.

[colin1]

Failure to successfully peg Sean Hannity square in the face with an especially hard packed snowball.

HAHAHAHHHA! You just made my night!